Incendiary bullet.



L. W'. ROCKWELL. |NCEND|ARY BULLET. APPLICATLQN FILED MAR.21. 1918Patented Apr. 8,1919.

flail 3a I N VEN TOR.

' adapted for LEA 'W. ROCKWELL,

OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THEUNITED STATES.

nvcmmreny nunnn'r.

I Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented Apr. 8-, 1919.

Application filed March 27, 1918. Serial No. 225,112.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEA W. RocKwnLL, acitizen of the United States, residin at Washington, in the District ofColum ia, have invented new and useful Improvements in IncendiaryBullets, of which the follow.- ing is a specification.

his invention relates to incendiary 'bullets, and more particularly tothat type adapted to be used in combating airplanes and the like.

One of the objects of the present inven tion is toprovide a simple andpractical bullet of relativelysmall caliber adapted to. be

used in machine guns, and which will be highly reliable and eflicient inuse and operation. A further object is to provide a bullet of the abovegeneral character particularly puncturing the specially constructedgasolene tanks of aircraft and insuring the ignition of the contentsthereof.

- A further object is to provide an incendiary or explosive bullet ofsmall caliber having relatively few parts which may be inexpensivelymanufactured and easily assembled.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and inpart indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of thisinvention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of gelrsts and the unique relations of the memand in therelative proportionin and disposition thereof; all as more comp etelyoutlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to, comprehend theunderlyin features thereof that they may embody t e same by the numerousmodifications in structure and relation contemplated by this invention,a drawin depicting a preferred form has been annexe as a part of thisdisclosure, and in such drawin Y The fi re 1s an enlarged longitudinalsectional new of the bullet showing the COD: struction; position andarrangement of the various parts thereof.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, 5

denotesanouter hollow shell or jacket of the bullet which is of standardconstruction, and

of material such as cupro-nickel, to rovide for the desired penetration.Withm this jacket, and located at the forward part thereof is aconically-shaped slug or member 6,

Egeferably of steel, having a longitudinal re 7 within which ispositioned a firing pin 8, and, behind the pin, a small cap or det- Ionator 10 of fuhninate of mercury. In the rear part of the jacket is a clindrical plug or member 11, also madepre erabl of steel, havi ahollowed interlor 12 adapted to contain a highly combustible charge 13of either exploslv'e or inflammable character. I prefer to use thermiteor the like. This char e is preferably separated from the member 6 by athin wall 14 of fibrous material constituting a safety device. It is tobe noted that this member 11 has a slightly enlarged rear end or flange15 adapted to take over the rear end of the jacket 5 whereby on firingof the projectile the member 11 cannot be driven forwardly to explodethe detonator, or disturb the relative position of the parts.

When the projectile or bullet is charged with thermite or the like andis fired, no action takes place until the nose'ofthe jacket is crushedin or collapsed on impact with a target. Under such circumstances thefiring pin 8 is driven rearwardl to 1gn1te or jacket 5 and the ignitionor melting of any surrounding, material.

It should be understood from the above that where desirable, Icontemplate using a charge of high explosive material in the chamber 12in whichcase the bullet, on impact, would have a shattering effect andwould not be of incendiary character.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides a simple andpractical incendiary :f

or explosive bullet adapted to. accomplish all the objects herein setforth.

Without further analysis; the'foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthis invention that others can by applying, current kriowl 3 edgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting certainfeatures that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constituteessential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of thisinvention, and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the followinclaims.

I cliim asmy invention:

1. A projectile comprising a jacket and a body member, of relativel hardmetallic composition and substantia y solid in cross sectlon, adapted toimpart penetrating power to the projectile, inserted in said jacket,said body member having its for:

ward end cut away to provide a hollow portion ad acent the nose oftheprojectile jacent the nose bf the projecti e whereby comprising, a

said nose. is adapted to be pact.

3. ,A device of the character described, fjacket, a conically-shapedmember in the, orward interior part thereof provided with a longitudinalbore, a firing pin and cap within said bore adapted to be actuated uponcollapse of the nose of the jacket on engagement with the target, acylindrical member in the rear. part of said bullethavitnfi acombustible charge adapted to be igni by said cap, said cylindricalmember being flanged over its rear end to prevent being driven forwardwhen the bulat is fired.

i. A projectile comprising a collapsed on. im-

frusto-o'givalbody member, of relatively. hard metallic compositionandvsubstantially 'solid in cross section, adapted to imparttileadjacent the nose thereof, -detonatin penetratin power tosaidprojectile, inserted in sai jacket, the upper end of said' frusto-ogivamember and the interior wallsof the jacket definin a hollow portionadjacent the nose of t e projectile, the said frusto-ogival body memberbeing provided with a, longitudinal bore of relatively small diameter,and a firing pin fitted in said bore -and pro ecting therefrom into thehollow portion of the projectile adjacent the nose thereof whereby onimpact the nose ofthe projectile is collapsed and the firing'pinactuated;

5. Ajdevice" of -the character described,

comprising a 'jacket a 'conically-shaped' member adapted to be driveninto the forward part of said jacket and having a lon-' gitudinal boretherein, firing means projacket, the upper end of said relatively smalldiameter extendin jccting beyond the front of said member and adapted tobe engaged by the head of the jacket on collapse thereof, and a secondmember behind said first member containing an explosive charge, andmeans associated with said last mentioned member adapted to coact withthe rear of said jacket to prevent said member being driven forwardl asthe bullet is fired.

. 6. projectile comprising a jacket and a body member of relatively hardmetallic composition and substantially solid in cross sectlon, adaptedto impart penetratin power to the rojectile, inserted in sai jacket,said bo y member having its forward end cut away to provide a hollowportion adjacent the nose of the projectile and being provided with alongitudinal bore of relatively small diameter extendin therethrough, afirin .pin fitted in the orward portion of the ore and projectingtherefrom into the hollow portlon of the projectile adjacent thenosethereof, and detonating means said bore and to the rear of sa1dfiring n- 7. A device of the character described, comprisin a jacket,two members fixed therein, ing means associated with one member and acharge of thermite associated with the other, and firing means ada tedto ignite said thermite when the jac et engages a target,'and meansadapted to revent relative movement of sa1d mem rs ower to therojectile, inserted in sai acket, said b y member having its for wardend cut away to provide a hollow rtion'adjacent the nose of theprojectile and being provided with a longitudinal boil-1e of terethrough, a-firin pinfitted in the orward ortion of the ore and'projecting therecm into the hollow portion'of the projecmeans in sa dbore and to the rear of sai firing pin, and a highly combustible chargeinoperative relation to the detonating means.

9. In combination a bullet casing, a hollow plug in the open rear end ofsaid casing: and having a surface engaging said rear end, a slug in saidcasing between said plug and-the nose of .said casing, a firing inguided [said sing and terminating un or saidnose, a combustible chargein said plug,

hard metallic pro'ectilecomprising a acket and jacket, said b power tothe rojectile, inserted in said 05y member having its forward end cutaway to provide a hollow portion adjacent the nose of theprojectile andbeing provided with a longitudinal bore of relatively small diameter, afiring pin fitted in said bore and projecting therefrom into the hollowportion adjacent the nose'of the I projectile whereby on impact the noseof the projectile is collapsed .and the firing pin 10 actuated.

Signed at Washington, D. C.,'this 15th day of March, 1918.

LEA W. ROCKWELL.

